Description

In this Case Assignment you will learn about the ecosystems that make up the regions impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Spill. Using resources from the NOAA and your own independent research, write a 4- to 6-page paper that summarizes the characteristics of each ecosystem including organisms commonly found there, potential threats based on their relative location to the spill, and the economic impact of damages in these communities.Begin your research using diagrams in the report, Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill presented in a B-WET Workshop on April 1, 2011, and the status updates provided in April 2012 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This and other resources are available on the NOAA website: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.govIn your reportFor the following ecosystems1.Marine Wetlands2.Shoreline and Beaches3.Nearshore benthos4.Photic zone5.Deep benthosInclude1.An introduction of the characteristics of the ecosytem community2.The level of the threat posed by the oil spill3.The affected species4.The type of surveys conducted to gather the data5.The economic and environmental cost associated with the damageFor a summary, view the PowerPoint presentation: Deepwater Oil SpillPlease use background information below as references.PDFs/PresentationsNatural Resource Damage Assessment for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill, B-WET Workshop April 1, 2011 Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill Status Updates April 2012.Deepwater Oil Spill Powerpoint PresentationWebsitesNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Accessed February 27, 2014 http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/